Mathews Board Rejects Shopping Center Plan

MATHEWS — The Board of Supervisors denied a developer's request to build a shopping center Monday because of the "possible environmental impact" the project's waste water disposal system could have.

The board voted 4-1 to reject Walker & Walker's application for a special exception permit after meeting in closed session with its legal counsel. The shopping center would have included the county's first Food Lion supermarket.

The presence of nontidal wetlands on or near the site and the unpredictability of seasonal storms, which could cause treated waste water to run into nearby Stutts Creek, were the reasons the board gave for turning down the request, said Supervisor Keith E. Sadler.

Other environmental considerations in the board's decision were the low elevation of the land and its high seasonal water table, which could also cause runoff, he said.

Supervisor Dorothy D. Foster voted against Sadler's motion to reject the request. She said she believes the State Water Control Board would have made sure the project was environmentally safe.

The project's land application system, which would have sprayed treated waste water onto nearby irrigation fields, was at the center of the shopping center debate.

Before making their decisions four out of the five supervisors went on visits to functioning land application systems, said Frank A. Pleva, county administrator.

The special exception permit would have allowed Walker & Walker to construct a series of buildings with common walls to be called Mathews Marketplace, at the Ward's Corner site.

The Norfolk-based developing firm can go before a Circuit judge to appeal the decision, said Pleva. Developer Robert Walker was unavailable for comment on whether his company would appeal.

The board's rejection of the shopping center was greeted with a smattering of applause in the courthouse. The project had attracted support and opposition from vocal groups this fall.